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It is night in Lincoln's Inn--perplexed and troublous valley of theshadow of the law, where suitors generally find but little day--andfat candles are snuffed out in offices, and clerks have rattleddown the crazy wooden stairs and dispersed1. The bell that rings atnine o'clock has ceased its doleful clangour about nothing; thegates are shut; and the night-porter, a solemn warder with a mightypower of sleep, keeps guard in his lodge2. From tiers of staircasewindows clogged3 lamps like the eyes of Equity4, bleared Argus with afathomless pocket for every eye and an eye upon it, dimly blink atthe stars. In dirty upper casements5, here and there, hazy6 littlepatches of candlelight reveal where some wise draughtsman andconveyancer yet toils7 for the entanglement8 of real estate in meshesof sheep-skin, in the average ratio of about a dozen of sheep to anacre of land. Over which bee-like industry these benefactors9 oftheir species linger yet, though office-hours be past, that theymay give, for every day, some good account at last.
In the neighbouring court, where the Lord Chancellor10 of the rag andbottle shop dwells, there is a general tendency towards beer andsupper. Mrs. Piper and Mrs. Perkins, whose respective sons,engaged with a circle of acquaintance in the game of hide and seek,have been lying in ambush11 about the by-ways of Chancery Lane forsome hours and
1
dispersed
adj. 被驱散的, 被分散的, 散布的
2
lodge
v.临时住宿,寄宿,寄存,容纳;n.传达室,小旅馆
3
clogged
(使)阻碍( clog的过去式和过去分词 ); 淤滞
4
equity
n.公正,公平,(无固定利息的)股票
5
casements
n.窗扉( casement的名词复数 )
6
hazy
adj.有薄雾的,朦胧的;不肯定的,模糊的
7
toils
网
8
entanglement
n.纠缠,牵累
9
benefactors
n.捐助者,施主( benefactor的名词复数 );恩人
10
chancellor
n.(英)大臣;法官;(德、奥)总理;大学校长
11
ambush
n.埋伏(地点);伏兵;v.埋伏;伏击
12
scouring
擦[洗]净,冲刷,洗涤
13
lodger
n.寄宿人,房客
14
prospects
n.希望,前途(恒为复数)
15
staple
n.主要产物,常用品,主要要素,原料,订书钉,钩环;adj.主要的,重要的;vt.分类
16
swills
v.冲洗( swill的第三人称单数 );猛喝;大口喝;(使)液体流动
17
celebrity
n.名人,名流;著名,名声,名望
18
noted
adj.著名的,知名的
19
clandestinely
adv.秘密地,暗中地
20
nourishment
n.食物,营养品;营养情况
21
pint
n.品脱
22
laggard
n.落后者;adj.缓慢的,落后的
23
registrar
n.记录员,登记员;(大学的)注册主任
24
velvet
n.丝绒,天鹅绒;adj.丝绒制的,柔软的
25
impelled
v.推动、推进或敦促某人做某事( impel的过去式和过去分词 )
26
irresistible
adj.非常诱人的,无法拒绝的,无法抗拒的
27
greasy
adj. 多脂的,油脂的
28
sniffs
v.以鼻吸气,嗅,闻( sniff的第三人称单数 );抽鼻子(尤指哭泣、患感冒等时出声地用鼻子吸气);抱怨,不以为然地说
29
tainting
v.使变质( taint的现在分词 );使污染;败坏;被污染,腐坏,败坏
30
persuasion
n.劝说;说服;持有某种信仰的宗派
31
catching
adj.易传染的,有魅力的,迷人的,接住
32
expressive
adj.表现的,表达…的,富于表情的
33
twitching
n.颤搐
34
eyebrow
n.眉毛,眉
35
proprietorship
n.所有(权);所有权
36
eminently
adv.突出地;显著地;不寻常地
37
misgiving
n.疑虑,担忧,害怕
38
glides
n.滑行( glide的名词复数 );滑音;音渡;过渡音v.滑动( glide的第三人称单数 );掠过;(鸟或飞机 ) 滑翔
39
doorway
n.门口,(喻)入门;门路,途径
40
stewing
炖
41
fuming
愤怒( fume的现在分词 ); 大怒; 发怒; 冒烟
42
moodily
adv.喜怒无常地;情绪多变地;心情不稳地;易生气地
43
admiration
n.钦佩,赞美,羡慕
44
galaxy
n.星系;银河系;一群(杰出或著名的人物)
45
prodigious
adj.惊人的,奇妙的;异常的;巨大的;庞大的
46
bracelet
n.手镯,臂镯
47
growls
v.(动物)发狺狺声, (雷)作隆隆声( growl的第三人称单数 );低声咆哮着说
48
wheedled
v.骗取(某物),哄骗(某人干某事)( wheedle的过去式和过去分词 )
49
sociable
adj.好交际的,友好的,合群的
50
remonstrates
v.抗议( remonstrate的第三人称单数 );告诫
51
imprinted
v.盖印(imprint的过去式与过去分词形式)
52
hospitable
adj.好客的;宽容的;有利的,适宜的
53
remonstrance
n抗议,抱怨
54
entreats
恳求,乞求( entreat的第三人称单数 )
55
touching
adj.动人的,使人感伤的
56
knack
n.诀窍,做事情的灵巧的,便利的方法
57
soot
n.煤烟,烟尘;vt.熏以煤烟
58
vivacious
adj.活泼的,快活的
59
prey
n.被掠食者,牺牲者,掠食;v.捕食,掠夺,折磨
60
dummy
n.假的东西;(哄婴儿的)橡皮奶头
61
conspirators
n.共谋者,阴谋家( conspirator的名词复数 )
62
secondly
adv.第二,其次
63
agonizing
adj.痛苦难忍的;使人苦恼的v.使极度痛苦;折磨(agonize的ing形式)
64
vibration
n.颤动,振动;摆动
65
evoke
vt.唤起,引起,使人想起
66
phantoms
n.鬼怪,幽灵( phantom的名词复数 )
67
evading
逃避( evade的现在分词 ); 避开; 回避; 想不出
68
concealment
n.隐藏, 掩盖,隐瞒
69
muddled
adj.混乱的;糊涂的;头脑昏昏然的v.弄乱,弄糟( muddle的过去式);使糊涂;对付,混日子
70
defiles
v.玷污( defile的第三人称单数 );污染;弄脏;纵列行进
71
shudder
v.战粟,震动,剧烈地摇晃;n.战粟,抖动
72
interval
n.间隔,间距;幕间休息,中场休息
73
groan
vi./n.呻吟,抱怨;(发出)呻吟般的声音
74
snarling
v.(指狗)吠,嗥叫, (人)咆哮( snarl的现在分词 );咆哮着说,厉声地说
75
crumbled
(把…)弄碎, (使)碎成细屑( crumble的过去式和过去分词 ); 衰落; 坍塌; 损坏
76
Undid
v. 解开, 复原
77
cinder
n.余烬,矿渣
78
chancellors
大臣( chancellor的名词复数 ); (某些美国大学的)校长; (德国或奥地利的)总理; (英国大学的)名誉校长
79
pretences
n.假装( pretence的名词复数 );作假;自命;自称
80
corrupted
(使)败坏( corrupt的过去式和过去分词 ); (使)腐化; 引起(计算机文件等的)错误; 破坏
81
combustion
n.燃烧;氧化;骚动